College of Arts and Sciences

At the heart of IU Northwest is the College of Arts and Sciences . We provide undergraduate and graduate education in a broad range of arts and sciences disciplines that prepare our students for rewarding careers of their choice. We also provide the academic coursework that are the foundation for success in majors across the university. The college is dedicated to helping our students develop the communication, reasoning and analytic skills necessary to succeed in a rapidly changing world. The skills and content offered in the college are the core of what it means to be educated in the 21st Century. We invite all of our students to delve into the vast offerings of the College with the expectation that expanding your knowledge of the liberal arts and sciences will lead to better lives and more successful and fulfilling careers.

At the core of our programs, many unique to the region, are the analytical, cognitive and expressive skills needed to assimilate and advance knowledge. An arts and sciences education focuses on an understanding of the human condition—past and present—and the world in which we live. It emphasizes a humanistic and aesthetic appreciation of cultural life as well as valuing of science and its methodology in which intellect, logical processes, ethical perspectives, and problem solving are vital. The strong research and creative activities of our faculty encourage students toward a life of learning and reflection.

At present, the college consists of 14 departments offering baccalaureate degrees in the following areas: actuarial science, Afro-American studies, anthropology, biology, chemistry, computer information systems, economics, English, fine arts, French, geology, history, mathematics, communication, philosophy, political science, psychology, sociology, Spanish, and theatre. Courses are offered in all those fields plus astronomy, Canadian studies, comparative literature, computer science, geography, German, journalism, Latino studies, linguistics, music, physics, religious studies, telecommunications, and Women's and Gender Studies.

In addition to undergraduate education leading to the bachelor's degree, which prepares students for citizenship as well as for professional training and graduate study, the programs of the College of Arts and Sciences provide students in allied health sciences, business, continuing studies, dental auxiliary education, education, nursing, and public and environmental affairs with courses that are a foundation for those professional programs.

Post baccalaureate certificates are offered in Computer Information Systems, Community Development and Urban Studies, and Race-Ethnic Studies, to students who already hold a baccalaureate degree. The college offers a Master of Liberal Studies degree for students who hold a bachelors degree and wish to pursue a broad interdisciplinary program of study and a Master of Science in Clinical Counseling with a specialization in drug and alcohol counseling for students who are preparing themselves for a career in addictions treatment.